This study investigates the relationship between allostatic load and a novel form of altruistic racism-related fear, or concern for how racism might harm another, which we term vicarious racism-related vigilance. Using a subsample of Black mothers from the African American Women’s Heart & Health Study (N = 140), which includes detailed health and survey data on a community sample of Black women in the San Francisco Bay Area, this study investigates the relationship between Black mothers’ experiences with racism-related vigilance as it relates to their children and allostatic load—a multisystem metric of underlying health across multiple biological systems. Findings indicate that vicarious racism-related vigilance was positively associated with allostatic load (i.e., worse health). Findings highlight the salience of vicarious racism-related vigilance for the health of Black mothers, underscoring how intersections between race, gender, and parenthood result in susceptibility to unique forms of health-harming stress.
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